Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Experts used to believe that the only good tea does to our body is its caffeine content that gives you that inexplicable feel-good factor, could they be in for a nasty surprise?

By: Vanessa Uy

Long dismissed as nothing more that a source of caffeine and hype – or worse – coffee’s poorer cousin. But the latest studies have shown that tea has far more undiscovered health benefits that were conveniently overlooked by medical experts during previous studies.

Back in 2001, a study conducted on a group of British women who drank one or more cups of tea a day have shown that they have denser bones in comparison to women who drank no tea at all. Some of the women in the study had one cup of tea a day, while others drank more than six cups a day. But the research findings have shown that drinking more than one cup of tea a day didn't contribute additional bone density increase. The study could serve as a basis for the further study of tea as a preventive for osteoporosis, not only for the elderly, but also for future space travelers with acquired osteoporosis after prolonged exposure to weightlessness.

Also a latter study by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has found out that tea is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. On-going studies of antioxidants have shown that they have cancer preventive properties. Antioxidants also play a role in maintaining overall cardiovascular health. On average, tea constitutes up to 36% of one’s average dietary intake of antioxidants. Both green and black tea have shown to be potent antioxidant sources. Looks like tea have finally matured from a fad supplement to a true-blue health supplement. Only time will tell of tea’s other health benefits.